RCA Records - RCA-373My Oh My evolved when Jim Lea decided he wanted to write a song in the vein of Rod Stewart's 'Sailing', that everybody could sing along with. The song appeared on both The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome and on the band's 1984 American counterpart release, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. It reached number two in the UK chart by Christmas 1983 and a year later became the band's second US Top 40 hit, reaching number 37. The single was kept from the #1 spot in the UK by The Flying Pickets' cover of Yazoo's "Only You".

This was the first track that Lea and Holder had ever demoed because for the first time the group were working with an outside record producer John Punter. The raw demo of Holder singing over Lea's piano was received with wild enthusiasm by Slade's record label RCA.

"We learnt a lot from him... he spent a lot of time getting the right sounds and it was worth it." Don Powell: Ken Sharp Interview

The song came from an idea that Jim had while listening to Dave and Noddy tuning up in the dressing room before a gig at a University in Wales.

"It reminded me of bagpipes, I wrote the melody in my head to the drone of the strings"Jim Lea.

Don Powell wanted to keep the drums out until the end of the song.

"Do you remember a song by Billy Preston called That's The Way God Planned It? That's what I wanted to do at the end of My Oh My."

Don Powell: Ken Sharp Interview

My Oh My replaced C'est La Vie in the bands set list for the December '83 tour. RCA released the single in early November and by December it had entered the UK Top 20. The bands new album, The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome, was scheduled for release in February '84 but RCA decided to release it immediately (December 3rd) to cash in on the singles success. A February release may have produced a better album cover. They even cancelled one of Slade's concerts in order to promote the song on Top Of The Pops, much to the disdain of those fans with tickets. The group claimed that the venue had 10 days warning but continued to sell tickets.

The track was performed on many UK TV shows such as David Frost, Hall of Fame, Russell Harty Show, Saturday Superstore, Rock and Pop Awards and Saturday Show which featured a different backing track. It also featured on Top of The Pops on a number of occasions.

The B-side featured Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply, a previously unreleased track that would lend it's title to the groups US release. An unusual number that echoes some of (I assume) Jim Lea's earlier musical experimentation. An 'ostinato'medley over an atmospheric backdrop of 'program music' sets the scene for the song. Lyrics, revolving around drinking and driving with an amorous passenger, alongside abrupt crashing chords which build the mood until, almost half way through the song, a disappointingly basic chorus lets it down. A shame because it has great promise but clearly they succumbed to the bands new Heavy Metal association and threw it away.

My Oh MyKeep Your Hands Off My Power SupplyDon't Tame A Hurricane

The release was also put out in a My Oh My 12" format containing an Extended Version and an extra track. My Oh My is not titled or timed as extended but is actually 1:15 longer. It's essentially the same, the song is extended by doubling up on the chorus passages and extending the solo at the end. Far from dragging out the song, it actually makes it better.

The extra track, another previously unreleased song called Don't Tame A Hurricane, is another short piece with an urgent and abrupt melody featuring the usual Slade wall of sound and a refrain that echoes the groups mid 70's sound but with an edge that catered for the new rock crowd. Both B-side tracks featured on the groups American album release, Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply.

The single's chart run in the UK for a total of 12 weeks:

19/11/1983 - #73

26/11/1983 - #36

03/12/1983 - #15

10/12/1983 - #5

17/12/1983 - #3

24/12/1983 - #2

31/12/1983 - #2

07/01/1984 - #2

14/01/1984 - #11

21/01/1984 - #30

28/01/1984 - #55

03/03/1984 - #100

In a last ditch push to get the record to that much-coveted Christmas Number One slot, RCA brought out another version of the single, with the "Live & Kickin' " version of Merry Xmas Everybody as a bonus track, on 7" only, but, alas, The Flying Pickets with their á cappella cover of Erasure's Only You could not be shifted!

The last entry was a re-appearance in the chart and the single was certified UK Gold by BPI in January 1984. The single was a huge hit worldwide:

Austria - #5 for 10 weeks

Belgium - #4 for 8 weeks

Canada - #35 for 18 weeks

Germany - #4 for 18 weeks

Ireland - #3 for 7 weeks

Netherlands - #9 for 7 weeks

Noway - #1 for 13 weeks

Poland - #21 for 9 weeks

South Africa - #9 for 11 weeks

Sweden - #1 for 10 weeks

Switzerland - #2 for 13 weeks

Mexico, 1984 - 7".RCA Victor - RX-106.

Promo. Only.

Mexican red vinyl 12" RCA TEC-145
Several other countries had only the one track ,"Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply" on the B-Side, as well as Mexico! :-

Welcome

There is nothing new on this blog, everything here has been previously available elsewhere, in one format or another. My aim here is to try to ensure that the information is available to all Slade fans everywhere.

My thanks to Chris Selby (without whom I would know nothing)and anybody else that has supplied anything personal to this or any other media collection. I must apologise to Chris Charlesworth for taking liberty's with his book. Anybody who is interested in the group's history should invest in a copy of 'Feel The Noize', generally considered to be The Slade Bible by most fans. And last but by no means least,Keith Farley ('N Between Times) and John R. Woodhouse (Brum Beat) who have provided much background information by way of their on-line research, These should be studied by anybody with any interest in the 60's Midland Beat era. More general 60's info can be found at Marmalade Skies, a source of invaluable pop essentials.

Any offer of missing artwork would be gratefully received. My main concern is to get 'readable text' for the trainspotters.

Contributors

Official Media

All of Slade's official releases have been remastered and released on CD with good quality packaging and comprehensive sleeve notes by Salvo for Union Square. I would recommend the purchase of this collection to anybody who is interested in the group. This blog will not be making any official music available for download.

Images are for review or research purposes only. All images, audio, video, text, etc. is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

The Historian

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Selby for his input. This site owes much, if not all, to his relentless research and charitable nature. Keep up the good work mate.

Slade Fans

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Subject: From Roots To Boots

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No part of this work should be reproduced or used without the express permission of the author or his associates. Failure to comply may result in legal action. This blog copyright of Michael Parker and associated sources.